I just watched the first ...
Question: I just watched the first episode of the British series
Prime Suspect with
Helen Mirren, and I loved it. Is it my imagination, or was
The Closer based loosely on this series? Couldn't help but notice the similarities.
Answer: I would think any dramatic series featuring a lead female detective owes a creative debt to
Prime Suspect, and certainly Brenda Leigh Johnson’s prowess in the interrogation room can be compared to Jane Tennison’s tough demeanor when grilling a suspect. Also, the fact that both characters lead a squad composed primarily of men, and that neither bonds particularly well with women, and that their personal relationships with men (both on and off the job) are invariably messy, all lend credence to this argument. Still, I wouldn’t exactly say
The Closer is a clone just because they’re in the same genre.
Prime Suspect is much grittier, and the character of Tennison is a much darker soul, confronting discrimination and ageism in a way that Brenda Leigh has mostly avoided. Plus,
Kyra Sedgwick plays the role much more for laughs, being a junk-food junkie instead of an alcoholic, and fussing around with her purse, cell phone and driving instructions in a way that would prompt a severe reprimand if not utter contempt from Lady Jane. I must say, I envy you for having just discovered
Prime Suspect. What an amazing series. And the final chapter,
Prime Suspect 7, is scheduled for November 12. Saying "I can’t wait" is an understatement.
